Closing remarks of the Strong Nations for Asia Program 2026

APAG English web portal respectfully presents the English translation of the full text of the Closing remarks delivered by Assoc. Prof. Dr. Nguyen Ba Chien, President of APAG for the Strong Nations for Asia Program 2026.

Mr. Ho Wei Jiang, Dean of the Chandler Academy of Governance,

Distinguished delegates, experts and faculty members,

Dear participants,

Ladies and gentlemen,

After a week of intensive learning, meaningful exchanges and field visits, we gather today to reflect on our experiences and formally conclude Component 1 of the Strong Nations for Asia Program in Viet Nam. On behalf of the Academy of Public Administration and Governance, I congratulate all participants on successfully completing this first component. I would also like to express my sincere appreciation to the Chandler Academy of Governance, our experts and faculty members, and all the institutions and organizations whose close cooperation has contributed to the success of the program.

We come from countries with different histories, institutions and development trajectories. Yet we share a common aspiration: to build strong and prosperous nations, shape our own development futures and improve the lives of our people.

Throughout Asia's history, many nations have overcome war, poverty and severe resource constraints to achieve remarkable progress. Their achievements demonstrate the power of national determination, sound strategic choices and the ability to translate decisions into results. At a time of profound global transformation, the challenge facing our countries is how to build new capabilities, seize emerging opportunities and preserve our ability to chart our own course amid growing uncertainty. This is also a central question at the heart of the Strong Nations for Asia Program.

Ladies and gentlemen,

Our learning sessions and discussions have explored fundamental questions about national strength, from strategic thinking and development choices to governance capabilities and the capacity to translate policies into effective action.

Viet Nam's experience of four decades of Doi Moi  demonstrates that major development breakthroughs begin with decisive changes in thinking and institutions. Unleashing productive potential, recognising the role of the private sector and proactively pursuing international integration have enabled Viet Nam to overcome economic crises, open up new opportunities for development and progressively strengthen its international standing.

Yet the drivers of success in one stage of development cannot, by themselves, guarantee success in the next. As traditional growth drivers increasingly reach their limits, Viet Nam must raise productivity, strengthen domestic enterprises, master technology and increase domestic value added in global value chains. With the goal of becoming a developed, high-income country by 2045, Viet Nam is accelerating institutional reform, restructuring the state apparatus, and advancing science, technology and innovation. At the heart of these reforms is the need to ensure that resources are used more productively and efficiently, that domestic enterprises become stronger, and that the economy's endogenous capabilities are continuously strengthened.

A key lesson from Viet Nam's experience is that national development aspirations must be grounded in the country's actual capabilities. Strategic vision must be matched by institutions that unlock resources, a state apparatus capable of effective action, and enterprises with the capacity to compete and innovate. The true value of reform is measured by gains in productivity, improvements in economic competitiveness and a better quality of life for the people. Leaders and public managers must be able to recognize the limitations of existing development models, have the resolve to make necessary changes, and possess the capacity to translate policy decisions into tangible results.

Our field visits have provided an opportunity to examine these issues firsthand.

In Bac Ninh City, you explored how Viet Nam's two-tier local government system operates, including the allocation of powers and responsibilities, the organisation of administrative functions, and efforts to strengthen implementation capacity and improve public services for citizens and businesses. This experience illustrates that administrative restructuring can deliver meaningful results only when accompanied by changes in management practices, adequate conditions for implementation, and the delegation of authority with clear accountability. Ultimately, success is measured by the government's ability to address practical needs and by tangible improvements in the lives of citizens and the operations of businesses.

At the National Innovation Center and Viettel Group, we examined Viet Nam's efforts to build an innovation ecosystem, develop digital infrastructure and master strategic technologies. These experiences highlight the importance of the State setting clear priorities, creating an enabling environment, and connecting enterprises, research institutions, investors and international partners to translate knowledge into productive capabilities and greater national competitiveness. At the same time, digital technologies, data and artificial intelligence are opening up new possibilities for improving policymaking, strengthening public administration and enhancing the delivery of public services.

Taken together, these field visits have highlighted three closely interconnected dimensions of national capability: the capacity to govern effectively and implement policies; the capacity to foster innovation; and the capacity to master technology and organize and expand productive activities. The ability to bring these capabilities together is critical to achieving a country's long-term development goals.

I greatly appreciate the seriousness with which you have engaged in the program, the insightful questions you have raised and the openness of our discussions. The diversity of experiences and perspectives represented by our participating countries has enriched these exchanges and deepened our understanding of the conditions and choices that shape development.

Viet Nam is keen to share both the lessons of its reforms and the challenges it continues to address, while learning from the experiences of other participating countries. I hope that the knowledge and insights gained through this program will offer you fresh perspectives, help inform sound policy choices and strengthen your determination to take action that contributes meaningfully to governance reform and national development in your respective countries.

Dear friends,

The Academy of Public Administration and Governance has worked closely with the Chandler Academy of Governance, with great commitment and dedication, to develop a programme that combines academic depth with direct engagement in Viet Nam's ongoing reform and development efforts. Our aim has been to offer you more than an understanding of Viet Nam through lectures alone. We wanted you to engage directly with those involved in policymaking, implementing reforms, managing government institutions and developing new technologies, so that you could gain a deeper appreciation of the choices, challenges and sustained efforts behind the country's progress.

I would like to express my sincere gratitude to the Chandler Academy of Governance, particularly Mr. Ho Wei Jiang and his colleagues, for their trust, close collaboration and invaluable contributions to this programme. I also thank our experts and faculty members, the leaders and relevant authorities of Bac Ninh Province, the National Innovation Center and Viettel Group for generously sharing their time, experiences and insights. I would also like to acknowledge the dedication and strong sense of responsibility demonstrated by the Academy's departments, faculty members and staff in organizing the program and supporting its participants.

I am confident that the knowledge, experience and relationships developed during our time together in Viet Nam will continue to prove valuable throughout the subsequent components of the program and in each participant’s leadership and management responsibilities. The Academy of Public Administration and Governance deeply values its close and trusted partnership with the Chandler Academy of Governance and is committed to further strengthening this partnership, not only through the Strong Nations for Asia Program, but also through continued collaboration in education, research and the exchange of national governance experience, in support of the development of Viet Nam and other countries across the region.

Dear friends,

Asia stands before immense opportunities for development, while also facing increasingly complex economic, technological, environmental and security challenges. The development prospects of individual countries are becoming ever more closely intertwined with the peace, stability and shared prosperity of the region. In this context, cooperation and the exchange of knowledge and governance experience are increasingly important, both for strengthening national capabilities and for addressing our common challenges.

Building a strong nation is the work of generations. The choices we make and the actions we take today will not only shape our immediate development prospects but also determine the opportunities available to future generations. I believe that this shared sense of responsibility and aspiration is what has brought us together through the Strong Nations for Asia Program.

With this conviction, I hope that our cooperation will continue to deepen, contributing to stronger, more prosperous nations and to a peaceful, stable and thriving Asia.

Once again, I warmly congratulate all participants on completing Segment 1. I wish you every success in the subsequent components of the program and continued achievements in your professional endeavors.

On behalf of the Academy of Public Administration and Governance, I hereby declare Component 1 of the Strong Nations for Asia Program 2026 officially closed.

I wish all delegates, experts, faculty members and participants good health, happiness and continued success.

Thank you very much.